


In the Arms of an Angel

by icyfreezepop



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: F/F, Gen, also theres gunna a Lot Of Gay, also theres gunna be pretty much everyone in game in this fic i just cba to tag em all sorry, and im exploring all of the mental and physical ailments that come from, anyways the ailments that come from battle, oops i never even noticed these were messed up, strap in tight, theres gunna b a lot of battle scenes, this is gunna be a long one boys
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-09-16
Updated: 2017-07-24
Packaged: 2018-08-15 10:17:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 11,529
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8052514
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/icyfreezepop/pseuds/icyfreezepop
Summary: Follow Mercy and her teammates through battles, mental and physical trials, emotional issues, and eventually a whole Lotta Gay





	1. Chapter 1

1:46 A.M

The smell of a fresh pot of coffee wafted through the air. A woman sits alone at her desk, back hunched and eyes squinting at the mountain of paperwork in front of her. She brings her hands to her temples, attempting to rub away the headache before it could become a full blown migraine. Unfortunately, the placebo affect this might have would not take place on as skilled of a medical practitioner as she.

_"It is my belief that one of the most concerning matters in the medical field today is the lack of focus on that which most humans crave yet fear: immortality. While it is apparent that everything on Earth must and will die, we as a race have put forth next to no effort in furthering our knowledge of why we die."_

The woman's blue eyes narrowed further. _No effort?_ She scoffed and nearly shut the book right then and there. Modern doctors were so damn cocky. The entire point of medicine was to prevent death and illness. How foolish can this man be? She had ought to write her own book at this point. _"Why Doctors Act So Pretentious: A dissertation by Angela Ziegler"_.

However, before she could put any real thought into the idea, a knock rang out through the room. Sighing, she stood and made her way to the door, drawing her robe tighter around her waist. She glanced at the clock, frowned at the hour, and swung the door open.

There stood a woman, tall in stature with broad shoulders and olive skin. Her black hair hung in a loose braid over her shoulder. Angela took a step back, any irritation at being bothered replaced with curiosity.

"Hello Fareeha. What brings you here at this hour?" Angela asked, stepping back and gesturing her arm to allow the other woman into her room.

Fareeha took the invitation immediately with a nod of thanks, and sat herself at the doctors workbench.

"Nothing too exciting, I believe I am just having a bout of insomnia. I have been unable to sleep for the past 75 hours, although my body desperately wants it."

"Why have you not seen me sooner?" Angela asked, moving across the room to a medicine cabinet. As her hands searched for the bottle, her mind thought of how formal Fareeha spoke and wondered if she would prefer to be spoken to in the same manner or if it was just a personal preference for herself.

"I assumed it would go away on it's own. I believed that I could work myself to sleep so to speak, though now it seems that it is only hurting me. My muscles cannot relax or heal without sleep, and it is effecting my training. Due to our upcoming shipment, I realized without extensive knowledge on this subject and in need of quick results it was probably best to leave this in the hands of a professional."

The doctor nodded, and hummed in acknowledgement. Walking towards the other woman, she handed Fareeha two small red capsules.

"You are correct," she said. "Insomnia is a tricky thing to cure; that is, everyone will experience at least a few times in their life and no one will ever be completely free of it. These pills should help. How long ago was your last meal?"

Fareeha took them graciously in her hand and glanced at the clock hanging on the wall.

"About 5 hours ago, just a small snack before bed. Why do you ask?"

"Those pills are rather...potent. It is best to take them with food or on a full stomach so as to lessen the possible side effects. I assure you, they will cause you no harm but you might feel a little strange. Take one for now, and save the other. If after 25-30 minutes of taking it you still feel nothing, take the other. But make sure you are good and ready to fall asleep before doing so."

The Egyptian woman stood, towering over the blonde doctor before her. She bowed her head in thanks, and strode to the door.

"You know, Angela. It is quite late, and you have just as much to do tomorrow in preparation as I. Would it not be best for you to sleep as well? Perhaps these pills could be of use to the both of us."

"Thank you for your concern. I believe I am tired enough to collapse right here and now though. That medicine would most likely keep me asleep for a decade." Dr. Ziegler laughed, walking back to her desk.

The door opened and Fareeha stepped through, only to turn around and say, "Perhaps that would be best. Maybe then the team could learn to take care of themselves rather than depending so heavily on you." Her voice was light-hearted and more playful than Angela had heard before, and her cheeks warmed slightly at the compliment whether it was intended or not.

The doctor chuckled, and said "Strong words for someone receiving treatment from me herself."

Fareeha laughed, her shoulders arching forward into the sound. "Excellent point, Ziegler. However I am under no assumption that I would be alive without you. I ask that you know how much I appreciate your work. Have a good night, Doctor. Get some rest."

With that, she closed the door, leaving the blonde woman to stare mouth slightly agape. While the two had known each other for only a short time, they had yet to have an interaction so informal.

She felt her mouth stretch into a grin,and sat back at her desk. She did deserve some sleep. The doctor glanced at the clock once more, then at the coffee pot, and finally back to the book still lying open.

_"Scheiß drauf"_ she thought to herself, and made her way to the bunk in the far corner of the room after shutting off the lights.

 

* * *

  
The next morning she couldn't remember falling asleep but the laughter of her Egyptian comrade still rang crystal clear in her ears.


	2. Chapter 2

"Mercy, can you hear me?"

"Yes, but barely. There is quite a bit of static on the line." Mercy replied. The earpiece beeped a couple of times, and the mans voice came through once more. This time louder and with less excess noise.

"Okay, how about now?"

The blonde nodded before realizing he couldn't see her. "Loud and clear, Lucio." She looked around the training grounds, taking in details and noting good places to stash health packs should anyone need to heal up while she was occupied.

Currently Angela was making her way to the main area, where the rest of her team was preparing themselves for the pre-shipment exercise.

Her eyes wandered the paths between buildings, and she would occasionally peek her head into buildings, sprinkling health packs of varying strengths into corners. She glanced up, noting the sky. A clear crystal blue, without a cloud in sight. The sun was just reaching the highest point in its arc, and the air seemed still and cool. A beautiful day, really.

As she continued her watch of the skies, something to the far left of her field of vision caught her attention. She drew her staff protectively in front of her with her left hand while her right hand hovered above the small pistol on her hip. Surely the training hadn't begun yet? No canons had rung and no voices were to be heard over the comm line.

She waited with baited breath. Though she knew the enemies they were about to face were fake, her body reacted instinctively due to years of battle. The familiar kick of adrenaline began to flood her veins, and her eyesight seemed to sharpen, her senses honing in on where her teammates might be.

Suddenly, a bang was heard followed by the sight of something- no, some _one_ shooting into the air. Blue armor dazzled brightly as the sun reflected off of the metal; the figure rose impossibly fast towards the sun. At the realization that it was only Pharah getting into position, and not an enemy, Angela's body relaxed and she continued her walk while maintaining watch on the woman jumping across rooftops.

Even from a distance, Mercy could see the amount of focus and determination that bled through every step of Pharah's. Each bound from roof to roof leaked confidence and practice, filled with grace that comes only with complete trust in oneself.

As she watched, Pharah shot straight upwards once again. The wings of her armor blotted out the sun and for a moment, the myth of Icarus crossed Mercy's mind, but she didn't think Icarus could have looked so intimidating. She forced her gaze forward again, focusing on the task at hand. The battle would begin soon, and it was of utmost importance that she concentrate completely.

"Welcome to the party!" someone called as she entered the main field. Standing around were the few members of Overwatch being sent out on the upcoming mission. Soldier 76, Tracer, Lucio, and Reinhardt all stood in varying positions across a plaza. Lucio seemed to be nervously skating around the fountain in the center, while Tracer animatedly chatted with Reinhardt. Mercy's eyes scanned the tops of the buildings once more. She spotted another member, Hanzo, leaning casually against an air conditioning unit on a roof a few buildings away from her. Now the only one left to find was...

"Hello again, Doctor Ziegler."

Mercy jumped at the voice behind her, whipping around to face the speaker. Two scares in a only a few minutes? Unacceptable. She'll have to get this woman a bell.

"Fareeha! You frightened me. How is someone in such heavy armor so quiet?" Mercy asked, making her tone light and keeping her bell idea quiet.

"My mother left me with little save for her knowledge of combat. Stealth was a large benefactor in her success. You are correct though," Pharah proceeded. "My armor is not exactly made for remaining unknown. I am surprised you did not hear me approach...your mind must be occupied."

Mercy noticed there was a hint of curiosity in the woman's voice, and decided to test the waters of what she might be able to get away with as far as conversations went.

"As a matter of fact, it was. I was searching for the only member of the team to not be within my reach and therefore unsafe. I believe to recall you admitting you would not survive without me?" Mercy said with a smirk. At this, Pharah's expression flickered too quickly to catch, but the doctor suspected it was embarrassment.

"Ahem...actually, that is why I have come to speak to you. You see, I have noticed that while my attacks are powerful, I am often left vulnerable. My armor does provide better than ideal protection, but due to its size I sacrifice mobility. I simply do not move fast enough to dodge attacks when I am in the air...I was wondering if we could try a strategy I have been considering?"

Mercy was taken aback to say the least. What could the woman possibly want her to do to help?

"Of course. What is your plan exactly?"

A countdown began over the speakers sounding that they had only a few seconds left till the training began.

"Tend to the others for now. I will call for your help when I am ready and I will instruct you then. I apologize for asking this of you on such short notice."

"It is no problem, I am happy to help. Just call for me over the comm when you are ready."

Pharah saluted her, took five long steps back, and leaped into the air towards the back of the plaza. Mercy made her way to stand behind Reinhardt, who greeted her with a hearty "Angela!" and a thump on her back before he turned and wielded his shield.

She heard the others ready their weapons, and words of encouragement were heard from everyone over the comm lines. The gates that lead to the entrance of the plaza were closed, but Mercy knew that when they opened a flood of specially designed training omnics would pour through. She readied her staff in front of her, aiming it at the back of Reinhardt. Angela knew the teams basic strategy well: Reinhardt guards while Solder 76 and Tracer fire from behind its safety. Lucio uses his blaster to give everyone a boost, allowing them to quickly push the enemies back. Hanzo stays further back, never out of reach of Mercy's protection but far enough away to stay out of the direct line of fire. Pharah, in a typical battle, would line the battlefield with rockets from behind, mowing down enemies with the help of the others.

"THREE...TWO...ONE!"

The gates opened, and the omnics surged through. Mercy felt adrenaline spike into her veins once more; her eyes scanned her teammates constantly, never letting anyone remain injured for more than a few moments before healing them with her staff.

Reinhardt grunted, his shield colliding with a wall of omnics the height of an average man, but as wide and sturdy as a battering ram. Mercy kept her attention focused on him for the time being, allowing her beam to flow over him and repair his bones as they snapped, while also numbing the pain so he could concentrate on the battle rather than his injuries.

Shots fired from all around her, deafening roars of blasts mixed with Lucio's music. Voices rang out in her ear piece, everyone pointing out incoming enemies or asking for assistance.

Her body moved quickly as she used her wings to allow herself to glide from teammate to teammate. All the while she waited for Pharah's call to her side. The battle had raged on for a solid six minutes before it finally came.

"Mercy?" a voice asked into her ear.

"Is it time, Pharah?"

"Yes, I believe I am ready. Fire your beam at me, and I will lift us up. Be prepared to glide."

Wordlessly, Mercy shot Reinhardt with her staff for a few more moments before swiftly making her way to the back left corner of the battlefield where Pharah kneeled. Mercy immediately placed her beam upon the soldier, but nearly stopped short as the sight in front of her fully set in.

Pharah sat on one knee on the ground, rocket launcher perched on her shoulder. The missiles left her gun with an explosive force, but even through the armor Mercy could see Pharah's muscles move to keep it locked into place and on aim. She wondered briefly how the woman could hear at all anymore, and made a mental note to check on that after this battle.

"Thank you. I am fixing to launch us both up. In the air, I will begin to hover but only for a moment...at that moment, I need you to give me an energy boost. I must be able to push my body as far as possible for this to work like I am hoping it will. Glide with me while I stay there. I will be completely exposed, and will need you to remain alongside me while it rains."

Mercy nodded, her beam already focused and her wings extended in preparation.

"Wait, I apologize...you said 'while it rains'? Pharah there is not a cloud to be seen. What do you expect to come down?"

The Egyptian soldier smirked as she stood, white teeth glinting underneath her helm. She quickly glanced around for enemies before standing upright and bracing her knees. A small chuckle passed through her lips.

"Justice, my dear Mercy."

And with that, the ground underneath the doctors feet disappeared. The air whipped around her, and her stomach plummeted, unused to such a quick ascent.

It only lasted for a blink of an eye before they were a hundred feet above the battlefield. Mercy urged herself not to look down and instead focused on maintaining her beam on the woman hovering slightly above her.

Wait, hovering. _Boost, Ziegler!_

She pressed a switch on her staff, allowing the current flowing from the end to change from its healing yellow to a fierce energizing blue.

Pharah grunted as the excess energy flooded her body, penetrating her armor and going into her very core.

Her arms stretched out beside her, legs extended, stomach pushed out as rockets of varying size released from canons that had been previously hidden within the chest of the armor. Mercy's ears rang as Pharah let out a deafening cry that could barely be heard over the barrage of rockets storming down onto the enemies below.

She couldn't help but ignore her fear of heights and look at what was happening below. Her other teammates had paused briefly, glancing up to see where this attack had come from, before completely stopping their movements at the realization of what had happened.

The entire area was cleared. A single omnic was left crawling with its only remaining arm, and an arrow from Hanzo quickly sliced through its metallic skull.

Silence. Complete and total silence on a battlefield that Mercy typically associated with the loss of her teammates. This quiet, though, was one of awe.

Pharah mumbled something before her body began to fall, and it took Mercy no time at all to realize that the force from those exploding from her chest could have easily destroyed a few ribs at the very least. The two began to descent rather quickly, and Mercy did her best to allow her own wings to guide the two of them to the safety of a rooftop, having quickly snatched Pharah's arm. She pressed the button located on the wrist of the woman's blue armor to jump start the jet wings on Pharah's back to ensure they made it to the roof.

Mercy's mind was racing. When had Pharah become able to do that? Why wait until only a day before shipment to try such a tactic? The amazement she had felt earlier was beginning to subside into mild anger and rationality. How could this woman put herself into such danger like that? Surely she understood what it might do to her body, she should have consulted the doctor beforehand, should have asked her what might happen, should have-

It hit Mercy as they landed, gently placing Pharah's unconscious body onto the hard cement of the roof. The soldier had not needed to consult Mercy. She knew exactly what it would do to her body. That bit about her being exposed, and needing assistance was more of an excuse to cover up the fact that Pharah knew this attack would leave her completely broken...but as Mercy looked onto the field of destroyed omnics, she knew that the tactic would only be seen as a game changer by her teammates.

Mercy placed Pharah's head in her lap, and used her staff to begin mending the wounds she thought the woman might have. She visualized what the force of the rockets could do to the human body, and through those images she was able to mentally instruct the beam on what to do.

Moments later, brown eyes blinked open, and a small cough rumbled through the mighty hero.

"Thank you, Angela. I was worried that might happen." Pharah's eyes widened, and a look of innocence that seemed unfitting for the soldier took over her face. "But...did it work? Did I stop anything?"

Mercy said nothing, and merely assisted the other woman in sitting up to look over the remains of the omnics. "You tell me," she said quietly.

Feerah's face fell and she nodded solemnly, her militant expression returning. There was something else underneath it, though, as if she was not quite happy with the results.

The look faded, and one of triumph and pride flooded her face. " _Worth it_." Pharah said, before collapsing into Mercy's lap once more.


	3. Chapter 3

Today was shipment day. The assignment was relatively simple: go to a town where omnics were rising, the limits on AI enhancement illegally surpassed. The robots were once again deviating from their programmed norm, and were following unknown orders.

Mercy stared at the two slips of paper on her desk which gave detailed listings of what was expected of her on this particular mission. Everyone got their own papers in a manilla folder, and they could be used to gauge exactly how difficult the higher-ups expected the mission to be. However, due to Overwatch's re-formation being held in secrecy, Winston was in charge of creating and assigning missions. He tried to take care of small things, nothing that would bring too much attention to who had won the skirmish, only to the fact that it had been won at all and that a town had been saved.

The doctor frowned at the papers. If this was to be such a simple journey, then why bring her and Lucio? Typically they brought either one or the other, and a lot of the times neither (though this often proved detrimental). Angela let a sigh pass her lips as she attempted to urge the anxious worries from her mind.

A knock on the door interrupted her thoughts, and she quickly strode to welcome the visitor.

"Dr. Ziegler, I've got a question for you."

A rather short woman stood in front of Mercy, her brown hair sticking straight up in a way that suggested she had run full speed to speak to the doctor.

"Yes, Lena, how may I assist you?" Angela asked, stepping back to allow the girl inside.

"Well, ya see, it's about my accelerator. I was just thinking about how it works, and can't wrap my head around some things. I figured, hey, you're pretty smart, yeah? Why not bounce some of these thoughts off of my head and onto yours."

Mercy pursed her lips, taking a seat while Tracer paced around the room as she spoke. Admittedly, Angela had always been deeply curious of how the chronal accelerator functioned but she thought it impolite to ask- well, that combined with never properly having the opportunity to question.

"Of course. What specifically do you have inquires about? I should forewarn you, I am no Winston. My specialties and "smarts" lie almost primarily in healing and light energy, but I will try to help you if I can."

Tracer nodded her head three times in rapid succession before grabbing a pen from the desk. She took four long strides to cross Mercy's bunker before turning to face the woman.

"You see, Doc, it's a bit like this. I can go forward in time as easy as air. I can go back, too. What I don't do so easily, though, is understand why I can fix myself when I do it, but not you."

"What do you mean, exactly? Are you asking why you alone can travel through time?"

"Yes, and uh, no. Just give me a sec. Watch this."

Before the words had left her mouth, Tracer plunged the pen deep into her arm leaving a bloody gash in its wake. Mercy gasped and lurched out of her seat, arms reaching towards the girl.

"Lena! What have you- oh." Before the doctor had even left her seat, Tracer was standing right next to Mercy's desk once more, pen in hand and arm unwounded. Mercy had noticed this during battle, Lena's ability to heal herself merely by travelling back to where she was a few moments before her injury. Angela hated to admit it to herself, but she had never questioned _why_ the girl was able to do this and was simply grateful that it was one less thing she had to worry about on the field.

"See what I mean then? It's like, you stayed there. You moved from your seat. But I came back here, like nothing had happened. No pen in the arm, no blood, no pain. Not a scar or a scratch. But you saw it. To you, it still happened, right there in front of ya. So, that's my question doc. Why? Why does my body heal even when the rest of the world doesn't?"

Angela stared at the woman who was pacing once again. Of course, it only makes sense to ask questions about your own abilities, but why bring this up now? Why ask these things in such a manner and, more importantly, why come to the doctor about it and not the scientist who built the thing in the first place? The doctor could sense she must phrase her next words carefully.

"Lena, I...I believe that in life there are things which cannot be explained, no matter the amount of science or thought put into them. I think you are very...unique. Your accelerator works on a level that I, and I suspect Winston, do not fully understand. I'd like to sidetrack for just a moment and ask you why you've come to me for this. I understand you'd expect me to be able to figure out the healing aspect of your powers, but what makes you so concerned about other people that you would not merely ask the creator of the device?"

At this, Tracer's legs stopped moving and she came to an almost comical hault. Her eyes widened, and before Mercy could flinch, the woman appeared in front of her. Brown orbs stared into blue ones, and the doctor sensed that Lena was attempting to convey an emotion that she could not put into words.

"Doc, listen to me. I hate to be a serious Sally on such a busy day, but I'm a bit concerned. What it is, is that I don't just see my own past and future, y'know? I can see the world's timestream as a whole. Not at will and not every day. It comes in bits in pieces. I can't ever make heads or tails of them, really, but I see a lot of pain. Every time."

Tracers voice had gotten awfully quiet, and she propped herself up on the corner of the doctors desk, eyes wide and staring into a space (or time) that Mercy could not see.

"And I always catch myself trying to help. I try to place myself in those times, see. Like I do with myself. But I can't, I- I just can't get to them. I can appear there. Not long, of course, and no one seems to see me. It's like I'm a ghost again, like I'm...not there. But I am!"

Tracer jumped off the desk, and planted her feet firmly in front of the doctor before leaning in with both hands, trapping the blodne woman in her seat. She spoke her next words urgently, with wide eyes and shaking hands.

"I am there, doctor. You see? I am! Just like I am right now, in the flesh, living and breathing I'm there. I can feel the world exactly as I do now, nothing is different. If I'm there long enough, I can accelerate if I need to. Nothing changes except the people, see Doc?"

Her voice was getting louder, and Angela could see the pulse throbbing on Tracer's neck. She'd never seen the girl so afraid, so desperate in her words. She began to think of things to say and actions to take to de-escalate the quickly intensifying panic attack the woman in front of her was having.

"I want to help them! I need to know what makes me different, what heals me, how I do it! I need you to help me, Doc, you've got to help me see, 'cause if you don't, I-”

Tracer had only time to place her hands on Mercy's shoulders before a white blur crashed into her side. The small woman slammed onto the floor, while Mercy's savior attempted to wrestle Lena's hands to her side. Tracer's arms didn't even touch the floor before she had set herself back in time to be in front of Mercy once again.

Angela watched as the blur who was now recognizable as Pharah, shot herself up from a push up to full standing position. She briefly admired the strength and agility that must have taken, before watching the rest of the skirmish.

Pharah launched herself towards Tracer once more, but didn’t make purchase. The smaller girl was too fast, and managed to jump forward in time to stand behind Pharah. She kicked out with a single long leg, and then jumped forward once more to stand in front of the soldier. This time, however, Pharah was prepared. She used her own momentum to fall as hard as possible into Tracer's body, quickly pinning the smaller woman's arms to her side so she could not touch her accelerator.

"Lena! For God's sake, listen to me. Stop moving. I won't hurt you, just calm down!" Fareeha called out, struggling to tame the girl beneath her. Eventually the two became still in every way except for their chests, which heaved up in down as they held a steady glare.

Mercy saw Tracer's eyes widen, and her chest heave one final time before her face crumpled and her mouth opened into a heartbreaking wail. The doctor stood, and placed her hand on Pharah's shoulders to usher her aside. She kneeled beside Lena, pulling the frail girl into her arms.

"Shh, _meine liebste_. You are here with me now. I feel you in my arms. You are here, in the present, with me. I have you.” Mercy whispered into Tracer’s ear as the girl sobbed into her arms. Pharah stood, eyes wide.

“Will you be okay, Doctor?” the soldier asked, voice soft but strained.

“I think I will manage for now. Please contact Winston and tell him to come immediately. I wish to speak with you later, as well.”

Fareeha nodded her head and strode towards the door on shaking legs. She had only come to see the doctor to ask if she needed assistance with loading the materials needed for shipment before she had heard shouting. She grasped to remember what happened after she crossed the threshold. Pharah could only recall becoming aware of hearing raised voices, running towards the room, seeing Tracer cornering Mercy, and then...nothing. It was blank, a full two minutes completely erased from her memory as if it had never happened. She shook her head, clearing her mind. This happened frequently and Fareeha saw no reason to trouble herself with this now.

“Of course. Call when you are ready for me.”

Mercy nodded, looking down at Tracer who was already fast asleep. God, that girl did everything she did in the fastest way imaginable. But she hadn’t deserved to be knocked aside like Pharah had done. Angela was quite used to dealing with outbursts like this, especially from someone with as frail of a mental state as Lena. She understood, however, that to Pharah this situation must have seemed entirely different than what it was...the doctor reasoned that Fareeha was only trying to protect her.

“Fareeha. Before you go...thank you.” Mercy said, and Pharah gave her a small smile before exiting the room.

Angela sighed, looking down at the sleeping woman. It was going to be a long day.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys! Sorry for the long wait- between school, work, homework, and exercise I don't really have a lot of free time to write! I'll try and make the updates more regular, once a week if I can! Thanks for sticking around, and I gave you a nice little Pharmercy bit at the end for your patience :-) also, feel free to follow me on tumblr! glayshur.tumblr.com is the URL :-) lmk that you followed me from here so i can follow you back!!!!

Tracer steadied herself against the powerful vibrations of their airship. She glanced about herself, observing her teammates expressions as they anxiously looked upwards in their seats towards large screens that displayed camera feed from the streets of their destination.

A voice overhead signalled their arrival. She and her teammates undid their respective buckles, and stood around the room, idly chatting as they waited for the ship to fully land and release them. Lena pressed a button on her chronal accelerator, zipping her forward in time towards the door. She paced anxiously in front of it, her hands itching at the holsters of her pistols. She glanced about, catching bits of conversations around her.

"Tracer?"

She zipped back towards Reinhardt's voice, tapping his shoulder. He spun around, quickly grabbing at the air, before receiving a tap on his back once more. The large man paused, then moved left. Tracer jolted to the right, but was snatched up by strong arms before she could realize that Rein had faked her out.

"You cheater! You absolute scoundrel, that was a dirty move!" Lena cried, flailing against the immense arm pinning her to Reinhardt's shoulder.

The man let out a hearty laugh before walking towards the entrance with Tracer still in tow. "Sorry lassie! You would think you'd stop falling for that old trick!"

At the door, he set her down and playfully ruffled the young girls hair. Tracer crossed her arms and huffed at him before bursting into giggles. She and Rein looked out the window together at the plaza before them.

"Aye, now, listen to me girl. I want you to run ahead the moment the door opens. Survey the situation but do not get close, yeah? Stay out of sight, and tell us what you see. No need to linger; just give us the in-and-out of it all. We'll be waiting for your call."

Tracer nodded, and looked around at her teammates that now grouped behind her. Pharah and Hanzo stood near the back, Hanzo casually gazing into space as he fingered his bow and Pharah double checking all aspects of her armor. Lucio skated about in small circles, music audible from his headphones. Mercy took her place directly beside Rein, and she placed a hand on Tracer's shoulder.

The doctors eyes were solemn and her words reflected it. "Be careful, Lena. Come back to me if you need me. I will be watching over you."

Lena nodded her head once more, and readied herself directly in front of the door. She got into a sprint stance, left hand on one pulse pistol, the other on her accelerator. 

The door was barely halfway down before Tracer leaped up and through it. She heard Reinhardt ready his shield, but then her vision and hearing became tunneled. The accelerator seemed to take a hold of her for a moment, pushing her forward, allowing her legs to work in an almost treadmill like fashion. All she had to do was move- time would do the rest.

She zipped ahead and around the corner of the plaza they had landed in. Her eyes scanned details as quickly as possible. Health pack should go there, they could be easily ambushed from there, watch out for... _oh_.

As she rounded another turn, her eyes laid upon a sight of which she had not believed she would see again.

Gabriel Reyes stood in front of her. Of course, the skull mask covered his features, but Tracer had seen the security footage Winston had sent along with the Overwatch recall. He stood facing her directly, arms crossed, and an almost smoke-like substance swirled at his feet.

Gabriel took advantage of Tracer's surprise, and lurched forward to grab her by the throat. Before he had time to pin her arms, she had reached up and shot herself back several feet away. He drew his guns immediately, and began the chase.

"Come back here. No use running, girl."

Tracer stopped in surprise once more. The voice that had just spoken to her was not one she had heard before. Gabriel's old voice was still there, just...hidden under layers of throaty gruff.  
She was several yards ahead, so she turned to face him as they ran.

"Been smoking, Gabe ol' boy? You sound like me nan."

A bullet whizzed past her ear in response, and she faced forward to escape once again. Definitely worth it.

Tracer rounded one more corner before the ship came into sight. She pressed her comm link quickly, but only managed to get out a yelp before slamming face first into Gabriel, who had appeared suddenly directly in front of her. He wasted no time in grabbing her by both arms and whirling her around to face the ship, quickly changing hand positions to allow him to hold both of her arms with one hand and his gun to her head with the other.

Her heart was pounding furiously. She watched as her teammates stood, stunned, in the doorway. The air was dead silent, each side waiting on the other's reaction.  
Gabriel shoved Tracer forward, edging them closer to the drop ship. Her teammates still had not moved.

"I've been waiting for y-" Gabriel couldn't even finish his sentence before Reinhardt let out a roar unlike any man had before, and charged forward with the full force of his body. Her teammates quickly drew their weapons, and Tracer took Gabriel's surprise to yank her hands from his hold and push herself forward back onto the ship behind her teammates.

Mercy gave Tracer a once over to make sure she was alright before quickly using her guided beam to fly towards Reinhardt.

Gabriel had guns blazing as Reinhardt swung wildly with his hammer. The sound of bullets ringing against armor sounded through the air; though Reinhardt was stronger, Gabriel was more mobile and knew his weaknesses. The smaller man appeared in a cloud of smoke behind Rein, and shot several blasts into the small of Rein's back. Rein shouted out, the bullets puncturing faster than Mercy could heal.

From behind, arrows whizzed through the air. Hanzo stood in the shadows of the ship, shooting across the small plaza at the cloaked man. Tracer looked to her left at Lucio, who was still standing with wide eyes at the entrance of the ship. She grabbed his arm, and began running forward.

Tracer glanced back and watched Lucio's expression change from amazement to determination. His dark brows settled down above his eyes, and an almost ferocious snarl sat on his lips. He took his arm out of Tracer's grasp and skated in front of her while pressing a button on his "weapon"- a gun that shot out healing beams using both hard light and light energy along with the psychologically healing effects of his own music.

Without removing his eyes from Gabriel, Lucio shot a glowing green orb towards Tracer. She felt her body take in the rejuvenating energy, and allowed the false sense of adrenaline to push herself forward, harder and faster than before.

Tracer and Lucio glided across the plaza side by side, Lena saving the juice in her accelerator for her next plan. She pressed into the communication earpiece in her ear, and spoke fervently.

"Listen, I have an idea. Mercy, if you wouldn't mind shooting me up with a bit of that blue stuff when I'm closer, I'd appreciate it. Rein, while I distract him, you gather your bearings. Pharah?"

A pause before the Egyptian responded. "Yes, Tracer?"

"I need you to grab him. We have to try and kill him."

Several voices interjected over the comm lines, but one voice in particular seemed louder than the others and Tracer made a mental note to ask the doctor for forgiveness later. Pharah's voice did not come until the others had quieted down. The dark complected woman had been watching the skirmish from the air, waiting for an opportunity to land a shot without the impact harming her teammates. She was eager to assist in any way she could.

"Tell me your plan more thoroughly, and I will do what I can."

"Right, thank you. What I'm thinking is, the man can teleport, yeah? I dunno if you all saw him, but he popped up right in front of me, and I ran square into him."

Lucio's voice interjected, words broken and breathy as he skated around the still-fighting Gabriel, trying to avoid the devastating blasts the older man was letting off. "No, Trace, we definitely saw that." Tracer felt affection surge through her veins for the man. Even in the midst of heated combat you could still hear laughter in his voice.

"Hardy-har. Well," she paused as she maneuvered under Gabriel's arms, jabbing an elbow into his shoulder blades. He responded by deftly tossing his gun into the air and catching it by the barrel before slamming the butt of it into tracers thigh. Before the pain could set in, she pushed a button on her accelerator to go back to safety. "I was thinking, if that guy can teleport, how far? How do we beat him if he keeps slipping away?"

Even as she spoke, just as she and Lucio seemed to have him cornered, the man disappeared into his black mist He appeared behind Reinhardt who had been recovering behind the fountain in the center of the plaza, awaiting their call for his support again. Rein reacted faster than Gabriel had prospected, and quickly slammed his hammer to the ground, knocking Gabriel down and stunning him.

"Pharah, now!" Tracer called, straining to keep her voice quiet so Gabriel did not hear.

Fareeha allowed her body to drop, trusting completely in her armor. She landed with legs planted on either side of Gabriel. He quickly moved to draw his guns, but Pharah was faster. Her hands grabbed him by the neck and she launched with exuberant force back into the air.

He spoke as they ascended, his deep guttural voice cutting into her ears.

"It takes your entire rag tag team to take down one single man, and even then you can't do it right? How pathetic."

"You are lucky I did not know you in your first life, Gabriel. That leaves me with no sympathy for you as the others have. Which means, I have no problem doing _this._ "

Then she dropped him. No second thought, no concerns of repercussions. Just the knowledge that he was a threat that needed to be eliminated.

The man fell, screaming, before the mist shrouded him mid-fall.

The team did not see him reappear.

 

* * *

 

Several hours had passed. Mercy sat against the outside of the drop ship, staring into her hands. The impossible had happened- the dead walked the Earth. Though she herself had partaken in miracles, including the restoration of Genji's body, she had never even toyed with the thought that any hope could be had for Gabriel. How had he survived? Where had he been, and most importantly, why was he here now? Where were the omnics they were supposed to be fighting? Why had Winston sent them here?

"Do you mind if I join you?" Fareeha asked, rousing Mercy from her thoughts.

"Of course, but I must admit, I am not doing much."

"Yes, the others are still searching and exploring. I have been staying in the skies, but I have seen no trace of the masked man. I believe we are wasting our efforts."

"They are probably as disturbed as I am. That masked man was once a prospective leader of Overwatch. He was once not just our teammate, but our friend. Of course, I got the same briefing you did. We knew he was back and we knew that he was the reason for Overwatch's reformation...you must understand, though, that it is...shocking to see him in person. Like seeing a ghost."

Pharah bowed her head, and muttered in a way that made Mercy have to strain her ears.

"I believe I would understand that more than you think, Doctor."

Before Angela could question it, Fareeha stood and extended her hand towards the doctor.

"Let's not talk of these things. Today, we arrived and left a battle with no injuries or losses. I believe," she smirked, leading them into the airship and grabbing a glass tumbler from one of the shelves. "That that, my dear Ziegler, is cause for celebration."

Mercy giggled, and reached towards another cabinet to grab more glasses. They began to set up the small table, pouring drinks while they awaited their teammates arrival.

"Speaking of no losses...were you so sure that we would have none? The way that you dropped him seemed to disagree with that."

"I will admit, Doctor: I had no idea if he would survive or not. I was intending for it to hurt or kill him, yes. I wanted to eliminate the threat- I do not like to dilly dally. However, I did have a certain amount of faith in the man's abilities. I saw what you saw, how he could appear, almost through...black magic of some sort, wherever he wished. I thought, surely if he wanted to escape, he could. I was proven correct, unfortunately."

Mercy reached for her drink. Though she abhorred violence, Pharah was a soldier and they were a militant task force. Death was unavoidable, but she was able to excuse it as long as it was not immoral. She reasoned in her head that senseless murder and what Overwatch did were two very different things.

"You are right. I must commend you, you performed excellently. I am always amazed at your strength...it seems to take me by surprise every time, even though I believe I should be used to it by now." 

Pharah had already knocked back one glass of Scotch and was pouring herself another. A light chuckle crossed her lips before she responded.

"What can I say, Doctor? I work out." She followed this by boisterously lifting her arms as if to show off her muscles. The two women began giggling, and Pharah poured Mercy another glass. The light outside was fading.

"Should we call for the others?" Pharah asked, motioning to the comm line still in her ear. It had stayed relatively silent. A devilish grin crossed Mercy's face before she tossed her drink down her throat, and pushed the glass towards Pharah for another.

"No, I think they'll be just fine."

Pharah's head shot up at the doctor's tone of voice, noting Angela's red cheeks and goofy grin. She herself smiled, and took a sip.

"Fine. It will be just us for these drinks, then."

"Yes, Pharah. Just us."


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> sorry for the lack of updates. i sort of lost my motivation. have some cute lesbians as an apology

“Are you sure about this?”  
  
“Yes. Don’t you trust me?”  
  
“Of course I trust you. However, I do not trust _this._ ”  
  
Angela pointed down at her feet, where the wooden beam they stood precariously on bent at their weight. Beneath them there was nothing to fear, only a massive pit filled with cubes and triangles made of foam. A smirk crossed Fareeha’s face as she noted the doctors widened eyes, hands slightly shaking in the space around her body, arms outstretched for balance. Pharah herself stood with ease, and took a few steps back on the tips of her toes to flaunt her own grace.  
  
The board shook and while Mercy gasped, Pharah giggled and allowed herself to push off her toes, calf muscles extending her body forward. She shot into the other woman, and Angela let out a shrill scream that was half fear and half excitement. They laughed as they tumbled, the air rushing quickly around them. Logically, Pharah had calculated that the drop was exactly 5.63 seconds for her and 6.10 for Mercy to hit the foam. However, those seconds seem to drag for hours and as Angela’s blonde hair flew across her shining blue eyes and sparkling smile, Fareeha felt that time had stopped.  
  
Her subconscious had never stopped counting though, and she deftly spun herself around, baring her back to Angela. “Now!” She hollered, and felt two feet kick strongly off her back. The momentum sent them flying in different directions, almost perfectly replicating what they had hoped for in the drawing room for this escape tactic. With practiced skill, she spun herself around in the air to ensure she landed back-first onto the foam, allowing herself to watch Mercy’s landing.  
  
Angela, unfortunately, was not so used to free falling and crashed face first into the foam, her body falling inelegantly to the side.  
  
Pharah waited a moment.  
  
Another.  
  
“Doctor?”  
  
A blonde head popped up, hair ruffled and quickly moved out of face by a blast of air from pouty lips. The doctor wore a dead panned expression.  
  
“Thank you for that, Far. Perhaps,” she said, trying her hardest to stand in the foam. “Next time, you might offer a warning?”  
  
To her dismay, while she had been clambering amongst the cubes, Pharah had made her way to the platform on the side of the pit and was pushing herself up with ease. Mercy’s eyes wandered across her muscular back, marveling at the movement and striations under the skin. Her brain flashed to anatomy lessons, pages and pages of pictures of muscles in her textbooks. Why did these seem so…enticing?  
  
“Perhaps. Having trouble, Doctor Ziegler?” Fareeha said slyly, feet kicking back and forth in the air. She watched as the blonde woman struggled to make her way through the foam, half-swimming half-walking, she maneuvered slowly but surely. Pharah extended her arm down to the woman when she reached the platform. Angela grasped it, allowing Pharah to curl her upwards as she pushed off the side of the platform to lurch upwards and pull herself on.  
  
Now, it was Pharah’s time to admire. The curve of her spine ended abruptly to allow the swell of, well, _dat ass_ which seemed to have a heavenly glow around it. She felt herself gulp a little bit, and was reminded of her days back in college volleyball. They had the same type of arch in their back, spine giving way to _thick hips and creamy thighs. With an ass so thick, you could-_  
  
“ _Ahem_ ” Doctor Ziegler coughed, glaring pointedly at Pharah as she still leaned halfway up the platform. She had paused to get Pharah’s help on pulling her body up onto the ledge before noticing the flush flowering across the Egyptian’s face, with her brown eyes locked firmly _not on her face, that’s for sure_.  
  
“Some help, please, Fareeha?”  
  
The doctor turned her head to the side to hide her smirk as Pharah jumped, startled. _Caughtchya._  
  
“S-sorry, Doctor, I was a bit, ah, out of it for a moment there.” She grabbed ahold of one of Mercy’s hands gripping the ledge, and pulled her forward. As the blonde rose, Pharah noticed the doctor’s facial expression. She felt her cheeks flush once more. That impish grin could only mean one thing. _Aw fuck._  
  
“That’s alright.” She said, as they walked towards the ladder. “I need to work on my landings...the maneuver will do me no good if I cannot land without breaking my neck.” Pharah nodded beside her, agreeing.  
  
“It is no worry. You just need practice. Eventually, it will come naturally, and you will perfect it- as you do most other things.”  
  
Mercy giggled and bumped her shoulder into Pharah’s exposed bicep. As they collided, she couldn’t help but linger for a moment, feeling the tight muscles hold firmly against her side, hard like marble yet blazingly warm in tone and temperature. “Thank you, Fareeha. You praise me too highly, I doubt I will ever achieve the aptitude of this that you have.”  
  
“Let us try again, then. I will be gentle this time.”  
  
They climbed the ladder leading to the top of the room once more. Upon ascending to the small crow’s nest, Mercy strode straight to the bar. She did not intend to allow Pharah to out-show her in grace again.  
  
The Egyptian’s arm reached out and grabbed Mercy before she could board the bar. “Wait, Doctor Ziegler. Let me go first, and watch what I do.”  
  
Pharah gave her a brief explanation of the move, telling her the key points to watch at various points in her descent, highlighting what the doctor ought to be noting. She pulled herself onto the bar, striding quickly across to a point where Mercy would be able to watch the entire fall. She fell backwards, allowing gravity to take hold as her body flipped through the air. Muscle memory took over, and her knees rose deftly above her, tucking close to her chest. Using momentum, she swung her body backwards, trying to gain control of her fall through the spin.  
  
It worked, and as she ended her rotation, her legs extended with knees bent, hands poised out front to quickly roll, in practice of what to do when she was hitting solid ground and not foam.  
  
For Fareeha, it was muscle memory. For Angela, it was a gift from the gods.  
  
She stumbled up to the bar, all confidence lost at the picture of beauty that had just been placed before her. Pharah lay on top of the foam, as if floating in a pool, arms crossed behind her head.  
  
“Come on now, Ziegler! I’m waiting!”  
  
Mercy glanced down and felt herself gulp, but it wasn’t from the height. Pharah’s shirt lay ruffled halfway up her stomach, abs poking slightly against the skin. Her arms, curled lazily behind her head, showed off her pure strength even when relaxed. The woman looked absolutely…appetizing. Suddenly, the image of Pharah’s eyes locked onto her ass flooded back into her brain, and confidence re-surged through her veins.  
  
She faced backwards, and tried to mimic Pharah’s rotation. Now that the fall felt a bit more familiar, and she knew about how long it would take her to reach the ground, she was less afraid of the drop and was able to focus more on her movements. Envisioning her own muscles to do as she had watched Pharah’s, she fell, body spinning and legs finally extending as she landed onto the foam.  
  
A loud whoop rang out from Pharah, who was clapping and grinning ear to ear.  
  
“Very nice, Angela! You are a natural!”  
  
“Thank you, did I do better that time?”  
  
Pharah laughed, “Well, you didn’t land on your face so that’s already better.”  
  
“Yes, that definitely hurt less than the first go-round.”  
  
Fareeha laughed again, and began making her way towards the platform. Mercy got to admire her back once more, the muscles working so fluidly beneath the skin. “Really though, Doctor.” Pharah called behind her, still moving forward. “That was much better. You are a very good student! It only took one lesson for you to understand. It’s no wonder you are the best- you’re probably the smartest person I’ve ever met.”  
  
The blonde’s cheeks felt hot, unused to such praise without tease from Pharah. The encouraging words filled her with a different type of confidence than she had felt moments before.  
   
“Come now, Pharah. It was only a simple backflip.” She said, never sure how to respond to such sentiments. Fareeha had extended her hand once more, but this time the lift was done with no hesitations. Angela was pulled straight up to her feet, face to face with the Egyptian.  
  
“A simple backflip? I wouldn’t be so sure. It takes quite a bit of natural talent to be able to perform that on your first try. Were you ever into acrobats?”  
  
“Well, no, but I do go to the gym quite often.”  
  
“Oh yeah? We will have to work out together sometime, then.”  
  
Mercy nodded quickly in agreement, cheeks flushed at the idea of seeing Fareeha’s true strength, with veins popping and muscles pumping, _skin glistening with a sheen of sweat_ , _t-shirt…clinging…_  
  
“Doctor?”  
  
Pharah had walked a few feet ahead of the other woman, not realizing she had stopped. Mercy’s wide eyes snapped to Pharah’s, cheeks blistering as she quickly closed the distance between them and continued their path to the ladder once again. The dark-haired woman did not fail to notice the other’s expression, and felt her cheeks curl in a devilish grin- but she said nothing.  
  
As Pharah turned to climb the ladder, Mercy grabbed her by both shoulders and spun her back around, quickly stepping forward to push Pharah’s back to the rungs of the ladder.  
  
“Fareeha…” She whispered, voice thick and accent apparent despite only speaking a name.  
  
“Y-yes, Doctor?” The taller woman mumbled, heart pounding as she noted that the blue of Mercy’s irises was nearly invisible due to her blown pupils and half-lidded gaze.  
  
“When would you like to set a date for that workout?”  
  
“A…date?”  
  
Pharah found it incredibly hard to hear over the pounding in her ears, and the doctor’s fingers were tracing an invisible line around the collar of her shirt, knuckles lightly grazing her neck and sending shivers down her spine.  
  
“Yes, a date. When would you like to do that?’  
  
“Well, I uh, I work out every morning, right at dawn.”  
  
“And you will be doing this tomorrow?”  
  
“Yes.”  
  
“Good. Then, I will see you tomorrow.”  
  
She curled her fingers across the side of Pharah’s neck, nails lightly scraping the skin, then spun on her heels and headed towards the door of the giant gymnasium.  
  
“W-wait, Doctor! We still have more to practice!”  
  
“I’m sure we will have plenty of time to come back in, perhaps after our workout tomorrow?”  
  
Pharah’s eyes were still wide and her hands stayed gripped to either side of the ladder behind her. “Yes. Tomorrow, then.”  
  
Angela stepped halfway out the door, before arching her back to stare behind her, giving Pharah an exquisite final view.  
  
“See you in the morning, Fareeha.”  
  
She closed the door behind her, and burst in to a dead sprint towards her room, heart pounding.  
  
_Holy shit. Holy shit. Holy shit. I almost kissed her. Right there, I almost KISSED her!  
  
_ Pharah still stood where Mercy had left her. Her eyes had not gotten any smaller, and her jaw had dropped at one point or another without notice.  
  
_Holy shit. Holy shit. Holy shit. She almost kissed me. Right here, she almost KISSED me!_  
  
She paused for a few moments more as this thought repeated itself. Then,  
  
**“B O O Y A H!”**  
  
She jumped into the air, laughing and fist pumping, before quickly scurrying up the ladder.  
  
The Egyptian let out one more loud yell of achievement before sprinting down the length of the bar to the center, where she launched herself into the air, spinning countless times before belly flopping onto the foam below. She lay there, giggling and throwing the foam around, unable to contain her excitement.  
  
Tomorrow was going to be a good day.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> plot? what plot?

The blast sent her body flying backwards, the blow buffered by her armor. Instincts drove her head forward, fighting the momentum to stop her skull from smashing into the wall. Her ears rang as she stood, reaching beside her for the fallen rocket launcher. Snatching it off the ground, she took off into a dead sprint back towards the fight, screaming directions at her platoon into her comm the entire way.  
  
They screamed back. Blood curdling cries, some cut short while others rang out, rife with static and the sounds of bullets landing beside their helmets.   
  
Pharah squatted, shooting her body into the air and activating the jets attached to the armor to gain an aerial view of the battlefield. A gasp fell from her lips as the scene played out before her.  
  
The temple was in ruins, ancient pillars toppled like toys, the feeling of dishonor overwhelming. Her comrades lay in patches, some still trying to aid those who were clearly lost, armor scattered around their mangled bodies in pieces and riddled with bullet holes.   
  
Off in the corner, a shattered visor revealed piercing blue eyes.  
  
Her name is called.  
  
Her rockets are not fast enough.  
  
She hears the voice break, her call-sign a single syllable gasped out as her fallen comrade begs for help.  
  
**07:28 A.M**  
  
Fareeha’s eyes open slowly, the sunlight streaming in the window waking her. The harsh orange hues it threw across the room illuminated her décor, the white sheets glowing. The sports bra and shorts she slept in revealed her toned stomach. She noted the way the light acted against her skin there, exposing the earthy red undertones and the streams of veins running lightly beneath the skin. A gentle calm settled over her as the warmth of the sun set in.   
  
_You are here. You will be fine. You are here. You will be fine.  
  
_ She repeated the mantra, allowing the words to lull and fade in her brain, finding a rhythm. Repetitive mantras helped soothe her, losing herself in a few words, allowing herself to concentrate on nothing but the mantra. She felt her body relaxing, the sheen of sweat that previously covered her finally dissipating. One by one her muscles unclenched, and she became aware that her lips were moving- saying the mantra aloud to herself.  
  
_Talking to yourself again._   
  
She proceeded through her morning routine, walking towards the small kitchenette located in the corner of her on-base housing. Fareeha cracks 4 eggs routinely, and makes coffee as she waits for the eggs to cook. Unfortunately breakfast only takes so much time, and she’s forced back to her thoughts after she finishes her plate. Her gaze falls to through the window before her, which took up a sizable portion of the wall. The outside view was invisible, as she was blinded by the sun’s rays. She leaned with her back to the counter, and turned her palms towards the sun as they hung by her side. Raven hair hung behind her shoulders, and her neck relaxed, allowing the skin there to revel in the warmth of the sun.   
  
Lost in the small moment of relaxation she was so rarely able to achieve, she did not hear the door open, nor the footsteps of an approaching person.  
  
Angela stood, halfway through the room. She had paused upon noticing the state of the room, and had looked for Fareeha to make a small joke. Then…  
  
She saw Fareeha.  
  
Glowing under the morning sun.  
  
Each muscle was highlighted, the definition of her abs and arms casting shadows over the rest of her skin. Fareeha’s usually black hair now glowed blue, contrasting starkly with the crimson undertones of her skin. The light highlighted contours of color, earthy tones reflecting even down to the light green of her veins.   
  
She could not seem to make a joke, but the breath that escaped her lips after a few moments startled Fareeha. The soldier jumped, and the doctor’s hands rose upwards.   
  
“I-I apologize, Fareeha. I knocked, and when you didn’t answer I thought, perhaps, ah…”  
  
After Fareeha had realized it was just Angela and there was no threat to be found, her body had relaxed fully and a goofy grin spread across her face.   
  
_I’ve never seen her like this. So…relaxed. She looks so much different, her eyes…  
  
_ “…perhaps what, Doctor?”  
  
“Ah, I apologize. I’m still drowsy it seems. I just thought, maybe you had forgotten about the workout this morning so I came to wake you. But then, I knocked and you didn’t answer so I was worried. I did not- uh, I apologize. I did not mean to intrude.”   
  
Fareeha noted the doctor’s visible nervousness, and the way those blue eyes were darting everywhere but her.   
  
“It’s fine, Angela. I apologize, I did not mean to keep you waiting. I slept through my alarm. I appreciate you worrying for me.”  
  
Finally, Dr. Ziegler’s eyes met Fareeha’s. In them, the Egyptian woman saw several emotions- one’s she had expected and one’s she hadn’t. There was the usual glimmer of thoughtfulness, along with concern and…something else she couldn’t quite put her finger on. She suddenly felt self-conscious at her lack of clothing, becoming aware that Angela might not be comfortable with seeing her so unclad. Fareeha was certain Angela felt at least some level of attraction, the interaction yesterday was proof enough, but still. _This is Angela Ziegler we’re talking about here. She’s your superior, Fareeha! Get it together.  
  
_ Fareeha strode past Angela to the bed, grabbing a rumpled gray shirt off the edge and pulling it on. She missed the way that the doctor’s blue eyes roamed the expanse of her back, admiring the muscles poking against the skin, defined shoulders leading to powerful arms.   
  
All while still glowing.   
  
_She’s…a goddess._  
  
Angela struggled to keep her arms crossed to her chest. She was unused to such strong emotion, and it left her a little unbalanced. Her line of work required a great amount of self-removal, so to be suddenly confronted with desire was…slightly overwhelming.  
  
Still, though, she did not fail to notice the rest of the world around her.   
  
Angela could see that Pharah had slept on her back, as the sweat on the sheets showed two shoulder blades pressed and a small triangle hinted at her lower back. The covers lay twisted alongside both pillows on the floor. A pill bottle lay knocked off below the bedside table, which itself was covered with knocked-over belongings. She remembered Pharah’s eyes, and recalled the moment they had opened earlier with clarity to focus on the details.  
  
Though her brown eyes had lit to honey in the sunlight, the bags underneath them were apparent. The blues and purples were accentuated by the natural light, along with the streaks of red that ran across her bloodshot eyes.   
  
“Fareeha, may I…ask you a question?”  
  
Fareeha turned towards her, tugging her shirt further down and began scanning the room for shorts to change into. “Of course, Doctor. Ask away.”  
  
Mercy paused, unsure of how to confront the situation. She and Pharah had not yet had a very serious discussion, so she was unsure what her boundaries were.   
  
“Have you been sleeping?”  
  
Angela watched Fareeha pause as she bent to pick up a suitable pair of shorts. Even through the thin fabric of her t-shirt, Angela could observe every muscle clench.  
  
There was a moment pause after she stood before Pharah turned to the doctor. Their eyes met, each searching the other, gauging what to and not to say.   
  
Finally, it seemed Fareeha’s guard dropped and she let a sigh escape.  
  
“No, not much. I did get a few hours last night, but it was restless. I’d hardly call it sleep.”   
  
“What would you call it, then?”  
  
Their eyes met again.   
  
“Are you trying to diagnose me, Doctor?” Fareeha said with a small smirk, her tone playful. Angela saw through her attempt at diversion though, and pressed further.  
  
“What’s causing you so much trouble?”  
  
Fareeha felt her cheeks burn a bit, and cleared her throat before making her way to the kitchenette.  
  
_Perhaps it would be good to get her advice. She could give you more of those pills, they put you right to sleep. Also, it might feel nice to talk…  
  
_ “Many things. The bed’s uncomfortable. Room’s too hot. I imagine how much coffee I drink doesn’t help, all that caffeine y’know…”  
  
She trailed off, and they sat in silence as she cleaned up her small breakfast mess, each small task taking much longer than it should to complete. Angela stayed silent, waiting.  
  
Pharah sighed once more before continuing. “It’s just, I have…dreams. Not particularly good ones. They get very vivid.”  
  
She mumbled something else, but it was lost on Angela’s ears.  
  
“Speak up, Far. Tell me.”  
  
“I believe it has become easier to not sleep, than to face the dreams. I don’t _want_ to not sleep…I feel it is more of a fear response. Under different circumstances I’ve had no issue stopping the feeling of fear, this just seems like…something not entirely in my control.”  
  
Angela nodded, taking mental notes.  
  
“I will not press you now, as it is only morning and from the looks of things, you had to endure one last night. I will not ask you to re-live it now.”  
  
She stepped forward towards the other woman, placing her hand on the crimson cheek.   
  
“In the future, though…please come see me. Whenever you would like. No need for an appointment, just…whenever you’re ready.”  
  
Fareeha’s eyes closed, and her jaw clenched. Angela was worried perhaps she had overstepped a boundary, but when the Egyptian’s eyes re-opened, she saw a look of gratefulness wash across the soldier’s face. Fareeha’s hand reached up, squeezing the doctor’s hand against her cheek gently.   
  
“Thank you, Angela. I appreciate your help.”  
  
They stood like that for a moment, Pharah appreciating the coolness of the doctor’s porcelain skin and Mercy reveling in the heat radiating from the soldier’s.   
  
“Anytime, Fareeha.” The doctor nodded, and untwined their hands while moving towards the door.   
  
“I’ll let you finish getting ready, and you can meet me in the training hall when you’re ready. I apologize again for intruding.”  
  
“You are always welcome with me, Angela. It is never an intrusion to have you around.” Fareeha called from her seat on the edge of the bed. Mercy turned around in the doorway, eyes slightly narrowed and cheek pulled up in a smirk.  
  
“Fareeha?”  
  
The raven head shot up at the doctor’s tone, unused to hearing her name spoken so… _lustfully._  
  
“Please don’t keep me waiting.”   
  
The Egyptian’s jaw dropped slightly open, a small shot of adrenaline flaring through her. The door closed and she jumped quickly off her bed.  
  
_I wonder what she’ll do to me if I_ do _keep her waiting._  
  
The thought didn’t stop her from rushing.


End file.
